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The Forum > Article Comments > Bridging the fourth world: assessing the conflict between industry and indigenous peoples > Comments

Bridging the fourth world: assessing the conflict between industry and indigenous peoples : Comments

By Conor Johnson, published 26/11/2014

At present, there are over 300 million Indigenous people worldwide comprising approximately 5% of the global population. Alarmingly, however, they represent 10% of those living in extreme poverty.

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Hi Aussieboy,

An article in today's paper talks about a proposal to grant TPVs to refugees and immigrants who are prepared to work in rural and remote areas to cater for the acute shortage of labour.

Yes, people in remote settlements don't have any skills and are not looking for work, i.e. to take up opportunities created by that 'acute shortage of labour'.

But neither are people there living in poverty: they receive all the standard social security benefits, and often plus mining royalties, national park royalties, cattle agistment fees and various other payments. Squalor yes, but not poverty. Lavish spending on 4WDs and taxis yes, but not poverty. That's their right, to spend their money as they wish, but let's not call it poverty.

I did a study thirty-odd years ago, in a community that I had lived in previously for some years. I was surprised - horrified, really - to find that the average (mean) income there was equal to the average (median) Australian income. Horrified, because it forced me to re-assess my whole picture after decades, and actually very traumatic.

I've been typing up old documents in Aboriginal policy and practice, mainly to do with SA, and going back to the 1830s. As well, the occasional documents from other places and times, such as the evidence to a Royal Commission in Victoria in 1877, and meeting and conference papers of national welfare bodies, mainly between 1951 and 1968.

The same issues came up again and again, how to get able-bodied people either to maintain an enhanced (boats, guns, fishing gear) traditional lifestyle OR work for farmers and pastoralists on the equivalent of standard wages.

So now we're on Round 14 or 15 of the same contest, how to get able-bodied people to train and work versus how to stay unskilled and incapable of working. And of course, if people think they will never have to work, what is the 'lesson' they teach their kids about schooling ? Yes, they think they've got it made - and who can blame them ?

So around we go.

Joe
Posted by Loudmouth, Thursday, 27 November 2014 7:26:03 AM
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Hi Lm
I don't know if your aware but all the job network providers
DO NOT advertise rural jobs or mining
There is a whole group of people what was the last count 700000
that a good percentage of these would move to fill a job the system is broken we don't need to bring in workers
And how about our industry get off its arse and start training people
Because soon a lot of people will be in same boat as the indigenous no work no prospects no future might as well start sniffing petrol now while i can still afford some
Posted by Aussieboy, Thursday, 27 November 2014 3:58:39 PM
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